Brownies

I got this recipe in 1997 from the outside of a package of organic cocoa. The package had a polar bear on it, but I don't remember the brand name, but I think it was something arctic-themed. I've tried to search for it, but I think the company is defunct. Anyway, it became immediately clear that these brownies are simply amazing. I've made them many times through the years (and decades, now) and they are always well-loved. It's also a pretty simple recipe with easy-to-find ingredients. Some other brownie recipes I've found are more involved.

Note: I made my own alteration to this recipe: replace the two cups of white sugar with one cup of white sugar and one cup of turbinado (such as Sugar in the Raw). This was how I made them for the many years that people went crazy for the brownies. The flavor of the turbinado sugar definitely had an effect--though, perhaps, a subtle one--on the final product. Recently, I made the brownies for the first time in a long time and I forgot about my classic substitution. People loved them, anyway. So, I'm working under the assumption that these brownies are good with or without the turbinado substitution. Maybe I'll arrange a taste-test sometime to see which version people prefer...

Ingredients

1-1/4 flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup baking cocoa

2 sticks (1/2 lb.) melted butter

2 cups white sugar (or 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup turbinado sugar)

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9” x 13” baking pan.

2. In one bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and cocoa

3. In another bowl, cream melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then fold eggs in thoroughly. Do not over mix.

4. Thoroughly blend the flour mixture with the wet ingredients.

5. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Pour batter into buttered pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake (or the brownies will get cakey rather than chewy).